My new puppy is dominating our older dog. How do I set boundaries?

Question

We brought home an 8 week old male puppy with a 10 yr old female dog. We tried to pick a non dominating pup bc our 10yr old is VERY passive. The pup has overtaken the 10yr and lays in her bed and takes away all toys. The 10yr doesn’t seem to care but we feel bad as she doesn’t have her normal laying place. How can we make sure pup knows his place? He is still getting used to a play pen and whines and cries if we try and separate him from us or the 10yr. Any help w the transition would be great! Pet's info: Dog | Cockapoo | Male | unneutered | 1 month and 30 days old | 27 lbs

Eryn Taormina, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hi there! Wrigley sure sounds smug! I think you're on the right track with him having his own area to retire to in the playpen. You can also try a kennel or crate. Put the pen or crate in a separate room so he can calm down and nap alone and just relax away from all of you a couple of times a day. Your older dog may just not care about the toys or bed, but you can always get an extra bed for the elderly dog. Correcting Wrigley over and over, although redundant and somewhat annoying, is the best way to get him to keep to his own things. If he has his own toys and steals the older dog's toys, tell him "no" take the toy (as long as he isn't trying to bite you of course - if so call a trainer right away) and then give him his toy, and praise him. Also, you can try playing with his toys with him, and rewarding him with pieces of kibble or a treat he really likes. If you still feel like you're having trouble, I'd advise calling in a trainer. They can help you set some ground rules in the home, so things don't escalate into a fight one day. Sometimes our older dogs will only put up with so much, and may snap at times. This is not to say that your older dog will definitely do this, but just keep it in mind. The older dog may just not care at all, and be fine having a friend and sharing, but I always say, just pay close attention to be sure. I'd also always be sure to feed them separately. I never feed two dogs in the same area, especially with a puppy who is stealing everything. In fact, part of getting a puppy used to a crate or kennel, is to serve them their meals in it. Then they associate it with something good and will be more likely to just go in and relax there. This in turn again, will give him and your older dog some quality alone time. Be sure to spend some alone time with each dog as well, so neither of them feels left out. I hope you find this answer helpful. Best of luck!

My new puppy is dominating our older dog. How do I set boundaries?

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